Household Tips and Hints
I don’t know about you, but it seems like the only time my house gets truly clean is when we have company coming to visit. And that happens a whole lot more during the holiday season. So I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed lately with juggling holiday happenings and the household cleaning and chores. So who better to turn to then our mama blogger friends to see what household tips and hints they have to share…
1. Set a Timer
“When I am strapped for time I set the kitchen timer for 10 minutes and then I clean as much as possible in that time frame. Doing this several times a day, helps keep things relatively tidy.” Brittany from Love, Play, Learn
2. Tidy Up Before Bed – As a Family
“With summer ant invasions, my husband and I got into the habit of sweeping all of the main living spaces every night. (Usually, he would sweep and I would make sure the kitchen had no dirty dishes or surfaces). We found that we liked having the house refreshed every night and facing a nice tidy house in the morning so much that we have kept with the nightly routine (we do skip a night here and there). Our 3 year old always wants to help, so now he picks up his room every night and any toys that are in the living room as his way of helping mommy and daddy.” Jennifer from The Good Long Road
3. Get the Kids Involved
“Invite your child to help you clean. Working beside each other helps them learn to clean and makes it more fun for you. (Most of the time!)” Deirdre from JDaniel4’s Mom
4. Play Clean Up Games
“We play clean up games, and my kids love to help around the house with all sorts of jobs, but it’s quite impossible to keep it perfectly neat. Okay, not even mildly neat. So we go with it, and I try to remember we are having fun not posing for a home catalog photo shoot.” Ariadne from Positive Parenting Connection
5. Turn on Some Music
“Turn on the dancing music! Grab two grocery sacks: 1 – for trash; 1 – for item is in the wrong room. Fill them as fast as you can.” Rachel from Kids Activities Blog
6. Make Cleaning Easy by Keeping Supplies Handy
“Make cleaning as easy to do as possible. The easier it is to do, the better the odds that it will get done. Keep cleaning supplies and multiples of them close to where they are most used. I do things like clean the toilet each time I use it so it gets done frequently (though not thoroughly each time). I will also give the sink & mirror a quick wipe. I will wipe down the shower and tub before I use them, too. Little cleaning habits don’t seem as much of a chore when you just do them without thinking about them anymore.” Suzanne from My Buddies and I
7. Use Cleaning Wipes
“It may not be politically correct and environmentally friendly, but if I’m being honest, cleaning wipes are my best friend. They are so easy and handy for a quick cleanup.” Krissy from B-Inspired Mama
8. Make Sure Everything Has It’s Place
“Buy lots of shelves and give everything a specific home.” The Monko from Taming the Goblin
9. Stick With One Storage Bin Size
“Pick a bin size that works for most household items, and stick with it! We use the clear plastic shoe bins for most things – they stack nicely on shelves, work beautifully for the majority of kid toys, and you can always see what is inside!” MaryAnne from Mama Smiles
10. Organize by Color
“For organizing, we’re color-coded… from times on the calendar to vacation travel toiletries Makes it easier to tell what’s whose in a split second.” Andie from Crayon Freckles
11. Clean in Stages
“I clean in stages. With four children five and under it is impossible to ever clean the house from top to bottom in one day. I keep up by vacuuming all the floors one day. Another day I clean all the bathrooms. I dust on another day. I figure that when I have all the supplies out for one type of cleaning it is easier to do it all at once.” Allison from Train Up A Child
12. Follow the 1 Room a Day Schedule
“I try as much as possible to follow the 1 chore/room a day schedule. For example: Monday: Dust, Tuesday: Vacuum, Wednesday: Kitchen/Laundry, Thursday: Bathroom, Friday: Basement, Saturday: Laundry/Pick up rooms, Sunday: Rest!” Adrienne from The Iowa Farmer’s Wife
13. Set Specific Household Roles
“My fiance and I have very specific roles in managing our household. He does the laundry; I fold and put it away. He takes out the garbage. I wash and put away the dishes. It’s not always fool proof, but it really helps that there are specific chores that each of us always does. We know what to expect from one another.” Krissy from B-Inspired Mama
14. Have a Spot for Messes
“I try and give my husband and I a little ‘messy corner’ each.. which basically avoids a trail of coins, opened mail, business cards, etc. around the house. He has his corner to dump stuff and it helps!” Maggy from Red Ted Art
15. Soak Pots & Pans
“I add water to pots and pans and stack them to soak by the sink. My husband or I wash all the hand washables while prepping dinner. By leaving water in them, the food washes right out, and we only fill the sink once for the day.” Allison from Train Up A Child
16. Make Homemade Cleaners
“For stinky bathrooms – especially if you have boys we make a homemade cleaner for the floor. I’ve also used this cleaner on the carpet to clean up throw up and on our stroller, and it really freshens things and gets rid of any smell!” Sarah from Frugal Fun 4 Boys
17. Use Natural Cleaners As Aromatherapy
“Using homemade cleaners is like using aromatherapy! It is rather relaxing to smell the safe essential oils versus the stressful harmful commercial chemicals! Now- who woulda thought cleaning would be a form of relaxation! You just can’t go wrong when you combine aromatherapy with cleaning supplies!” Amber from Mama Nature
18. Donate to Charity
“Also, anytime I start to feel overwhelmed by the mess I go on a donation spree! The less stuff we own, the less I have to take care of!” MaryAnne of Mama Smiles
19. Ask for Help
“It’s important to know when to accept help as a mom. And you’ll be more likely to get it (from your husband, partner, kids, or others) if you ask for help with specific chores.” Krissy from B-Inspired Mama
20. Hire a Cleaner!
“I am hiring a cleaner. That is my only advice for having 4 kids under 5 and having a clean house. Otherwise get used to never having a clean house ever again, or at least until they are all in school.” Rebekah from The Golden Gleam
I was recently offered the opportunity to have Stanley Steemer come out and clean up at my house. Umm… SIGN ME UP!
“Not just for carpet cleaning, Stanley Steemer’s expertise extends to hardwood, tile, air ducts, water damage restoration, and more! With more than 60 years as the dirt authority, Stanley Steemer cleaning experts are certified to remove more than 98 percent of dry soil from floors – a rate significantly higher than self-cleaning methods. Their water extraction process provides a deep-down clean, perfect for cleaning up after the holidays.”
I had the guys from Stanley Steemer do a thorough cleaning of an upholstered rocking chair, my favorite one for rocking my baby boy. They were fast and professional and even cleaned the high traffic area of the rug in the room, too.
YOU can also have Stanley Steemer come out to help you get ready for (or clean up after) your holiday celebrations. Just enter below to win a $100 Stanley Steemer Gift Certificate and TWO bottles of Stanley Steemer Spot Remover.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Do you have any clever parenting tips or fun kids’ activities? I’d love to share them with my readers. Just contact me for more information!
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Erin says
I love all the tips! I’m able to clean our house all in one day now, but if we ever move to a larger house, I’ll remember the 1 room a day schedule. Thanks for the tips!
Krissy @ B-InspiredMama says
You’re welcome. Before my divorce I lived in a very large home. Now we have pretty tiny home and I actually really appreciate that it’s so much easier to clean!